


Fear and Delight

by Esmeia



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Humor, Oneshot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22951045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Esmeia/pseuds/Esmeia
Summary: That hell-born princess never failed to surprise.
Relationships: Alastor/Charlie Magne
Comments: 1
Kudos: 195





	Fear and Delight

**Author's Note:**

> Another one-shot out! Charlastor Week is right around the corner, so just a little bit longer until I heavily update “Sickening Feeling” again. I'm steadily chipping through this mental block I have for it, I promise. I'm also going to throw in the excuse of working on my art prompts. :'D
> 
> Thank you all for being so patient. I'm really pretty terrible with being consistent with anything, but I greatly appreciate you all dealing with me regardless. I'm determined to finish that fic before too long.

“You sure you're okay, hon? It really looked like you were going to faint for a moment back there,” Vaggie was saying as she carefully bent down to help pick up the scattered paperwork. She was grateful that her long silver bangs hid most of her face and concealed a grin and giggle.

Charlie grumbled as her flushed cheeks puffed out in a puff, shooting a glare at the ever-smiling Radio Demon standing a short distance away. He caught her eye and grinned wider, innocently wiggling his fingers at her in greeting. She huffed and turned away. “I'm okay, Vaggie. I was just surprised, that's all.”

“More like terrified,” Alastor practically sang, batting his eyes at Charlie when she turned to him again. “You're awfully adorable when you're startled, my dear.”

“That wasn't funny, Al! I wish you'd stop popping out of nowhere to nearly give me a heart attack!” Charlie scolded, folding her arms as she stood back up with a small stack of papers. She looked around at the many other documents still left lying on the floor. “Look at the mess you caused! It's going to take us forever to get these all up.”

But Alastor only chuckled in response as he recalled what took place only a few moments ago. Vaggie, despite her best resistance, found herself giggling as well. She had seen how he'd easily slipped behind Charlie as she was walking toward the lobby with a large stack of paperwork, keen on using one of the free tables to work through some of it that evening. Before she could attempt to warn her best friend, Alastor had slyly leaned in and took the princess shoulders as he cheerfully greeted her, making the poor girl jump several feet in the air and scatter the papers everywhere. The frazzled expression on her face was _priceless_ , and neither of the two demons would be forgetting it anytime soon.

When Alastor caught Charlie's characteristic pout again, he snapped his fingers. The fallen papers seemed to reverse in time, neatly and quickly organizing into two even and manageable stacks for the two women. Charlie and Vaggie quickly caught the stacks as they formed, breathing small signs of relief.

But Charlie was nothing if not stubborn: she poked out her lip and mumbled a “thank you” to Alastor. He snickered as he waltzed over and planted a few exaggerated smooches on her rosy cheek. Before long, Charlie felt an inevitable smile break through in response to Alastor's attempts at buttering her up.

“I'm still mad at you, Al. I'm gonna get you back one of these days,” Charlie said with a small huff. But the threat was woefully unconvincing, thanks to the delighted little giggle that came forth from his kisses.

“Oh, I'm quaking over here,” Alastor said sarcastically, laughing. “Dearest, you aren't the first and certainly won't be the last person to swear revenge against me. And every single one of those poor sinners have been unsuccessful. Good luck with that, Charlie!” he teased, pinching her cheek lightly before strolling to the kitchen. He turned to look over his shoulder as he left. “But hey. Since I'm so fond of you, I can pretend to be scared if you _do_ try and turn the tables. It's the least I can do for you providing such quality entertainment this evening.”

As she watched her boyfriend leave, Charlie felt a grin of her own widen. She took special note of his immense level of smugness as he practically strutted away. She and Vaggie set the stacks onto a free table before Charlie set her hands on her hips. Vaggie looked over at her curiously, taking in the glint in her eyes.

Had the Radio Demon just given her a challenge? Well, a Magne was never known to back down from one...

*~*~*~*~*

After dinner, Alastor felt the unmistakable urge to satisfy a different kind of hunger. After wrapping up some late-night work, he easily slipped outside and began a leisurely walk towards his favorite hunting grounds. He whistled softly as he strolled through the darkened trees and light mist, his senses keenly tuned for the presence of any unlucky game. Just as he'd hoped, Alastor soon caught the unmistakable silhouette of a strapping young buck.

Crouching down and watching his own steps carefully, he stalked the wandering deer as he moved about his normal business. Anytime the buck would lift his magnificent, antlered head to peer around, Alastor would seemingly melt into his surroundings and continue closing the distance between them the minute his prey relaxed again. Alastor felt totally in his element – a seasoned hinter at work.

Just as he drew within striking distance, a soft sound caught was detected by his own sensitive ears. One of the fluffy ears flicked in time with the buck's, and Alastor quickly hid in the shadowy crook of a large nearby tree. As the buck surveyed the area, so too did the demon. It was more out of curiosity, really; Alastor hadn't expected the sound of footsteps outside his own. He focused on the area around him, but the hint of someone else in the vicinity vanished as quickly as it had come. Perhaps he'd been mistaken, and it was just the natural ambiance of other creatures in the forest?

Shrugging, Alastor continued his lazy pursuit. There was no rush: he was enjoying the peaceful solitude and the uncommonly cool breeze that brushed through his hair and clothes. The night was so serenely pleasant that Alastor paused in his stalking to close his eyes and breath in the nostalgic scent of the pine trees.

And that's when he heard that “off” sound again. With that, Alastor was certain he was being followed.

Slowly, Alastor straightened up and opened his eyes. But he wasn't alarmed. Once in a blue moon, some ignorant demon – oblivious of his reputation – would make the unfortunate mistake of targeting him. It was usually some drug-addled person who thought him an easy mark. Sometimes (and more interestingly), one of the countless number of enemies he'd made over the years would reveal to have tracked him down again.

Could it be Vox, that insufferable bastard? Or maybe it was his dear friend Rosie, eager for a night of blood fun!

Or maybe it would be someone new – someone who shared the same insatiable blood lust as Alastor. Wouldn't _that_ lead to some after-dinner entertainment!

Alastor's grin grew in anticipation; whatever this development lead to, the thought of bloodshed was too enticing to pass up. After all, what was one hopeless sinner's life if it meant he could vent his more violent inclinations that often threatened to interfere with his darling doe's hotel? It was like killing two birds with one stone!

Turning on his heels smoothly, Alastor decided to confront his challenger. To his surprise, he discovered what seemed to be two small figures standing silently on a distant hilltop. The mist made it difficult for even his keen eyes to glean any of their distinguishing features; all he could make out were the two pairs of glowing red eyes staring into his own.

Alastor didn't mind that he couldn't see what they looked like. After all, they all ended up the same way: a bloody pile of splintered bones bones and ruptured organs.

“Good evening, my fine fellows! Or ladies,” Alastor greeted, bowing politely as he summoned his radio staff. “It's a lovely night, wouldn't you say? Not a bad one for a fight. You two have caught me in such a good mood that I'll even allow you the first shot! It'll make things more interesting. What do you say? It's a limited time offer, my friends!”

But the pair resumed their eerie observations, unmoving and silent. Alastor chuckled, fixing his monocle.

“Shy, are we?” he said casually, patting a bit of dirt from his sleeve. “That's alright. I never did mind making the first move.”

Without warning, Alastor shot forward and closed the distance between them in seconds, his claws at the ready and glowing voodoo symbols materializing. But as he drew near, the figures seemed to vanish an instant before one of his claws sunk into the space where their eyes would have been. As he skid to a halt, he quickly prepared for a counter-strike.

But none came. It was like the intruders were never there.

Intrigued, Alastor summoned forth his trusty shadow minions, instructing them to do a quick scan of their surroundings. But there was no trace left.

_Interesting. How_ _**very** _ _interesting!_

Deciding to keep his puppets on alert, Alastor went to work on tracking down the buck that had escaped earlier. It only took a few minutes for him to pick up the scent of his target, and his mouth began to water from anticipation. Not having had the battle he'd wanted, he was now more eager than ever to release some pent-up frustration. As he resumed his hunt, he noticed the strange demons reappear periodically, always several feet away – and just out of immediate reach. When his familiars made to attack them, they'd display their lightning-fast reflexes and vanish once more.

Though there was no outward indication, repeated instances of this game of cat-and-mouse began to make Alastor a little anxious. Not even other demons of his status could so easily avoid his detection like this. The realization made the Radio Demon keep his shadows closer. He hated that he was being forced to play defensively, but he was not quite so prideful that he'd knowingly let his guard down.

With the buck now in a convenient clearing, Alastor was eager to kill the damn thing and head back home. But as he prepared to strike, a ring of fire suddenly ignited and lit up the dark area, seemingly out of nowhere.

Alastor reeled back slightly as his eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden bright light and heat. The buck reared back in terror and quickly leaped over the rapidly growing wall of flames encircling them to flee. Adrenaline shooting through him, Alastor didn't hesitate in summoning his dark tendrils to better defend himself.

But what he wasn't prepared for were two hulking, vicious, distinctly _canine_ beasts charging forth to face him. Discolored saliva dripped from their large, gleaming, and very sharp teeth. Their large eyes were fixed intently on the man in front of them, lips parted in savage growls. Their muscled bodies easily outmatched the Radio Demon's lithe form; it looked as if a small swipe of their large paws could easily break his spine or split him open from the claws.

Now, Alastor liked to think he'd long-since overcome his fear – no, distaste! – oh dogs and their relatives. But, as his blood ran cold and his breathing drew short, Alastor realized that had simply been wishful thinking. The permanent scars on his body began to ache as if recalling the merciless mauling a lifetime ago. All he could do was remain frozen in place – a predator turned prey.

Thankfully, his puppets quickly recognized their master's distress and lunged forward to attack the beasts. However, their normally wicked attacked were easily brushed off, and the beasts pawed forward through the flames, utterly unfazed. Horror and basic survival instincts kicked in, and Alastor quickly turned to run away through the small opening through the fire, his pursuers right behind him.

Nearly overwhelming panic flooded his senses as Alastor dashed quickly through the trees – exponentially so when he heard the dogs rapidly gaining on him. In mere moments, he began to feel their hot breath on his heels as he tried with all his might to keep out of range of their jaws. But the pair easily kept up, and Alastor tried to brace himself for the excruciating pain that would come as they delivered a bone-crushing bite.

All at once, the frenzied chase ended. The canines skid to a hard stop and whined loudly, ears flattened. They quickly turned back the way they'd come in retreat.

But Alastor didn't stop; he made sure to run several more yards before he was forced to stop and gasp for air. His hands braced on his knees, his ears swiveled around frantically for any sign of their return. He breathed a sigh of immense relief when he heard nothing but the soft rustling of dead leaves.

After catching his breath, Alastor lifted his head – and his heart skipped a beat when he saw another shadowy stranger watching him. But this time, it was alone – much taller, more humanoid in appearance. Just like before, their blood-red eyes were watching him silently.

Alastor gritted his teeth as pure fury bubbled to the surface. This damned demon had seen him run, flee for his very life. The humiliation of it was too much. No matter what, he refused to have anyone see him be afraid – see him be weak. He was the Radio Demon, and he would not be made a fool. He'd had enough of these sinners toying with him, and he'd make sure to teach them an especially painful lesson.

“Having fun?” he called out angrily, narrowing his eyes when the figure only tilted their head to the side curiously. “You've had enough fun! If it's a fight you want, then let's just get right down to business.”

When his opponent refused to dignify him with a response, Alastor had his shadow and puppets rush them with full-intent to maim into an inch of life. He'd want this demon alive to personally dispose of later. However, his smile faltered and fell completely when he saw the the other demon easily weave and flow through his wall of an attack, darting right up to engage him directly. The dizzying speed and fluidity of this mysterious assailant forced Alastor to rely on his claws and the tendrils that burst from his back. He rarely resorted to fighting physically, being more reliant on his powerful magic. It wasn't something he'd ever been accustomed to, never having been physically gifted. He knew he was at a severe disadvantage, and hopes of making it out of the situation rapidly dwindled.

He braced himself for a sharp tackle and was prepared to tear wildly at his opponent like a feral animal if need be. Anything to get out of there and back to the hotel. Anything to get back to –

“ _Gotcha!”_

Alastor suddenly found his arms trapped firmly against his body as a pair of remarkably strong ones wrapped around his lanky frame and squeezed. His vision was filled with the slight of light gold hair as he fell backwards into a soft pile of leaves, girlish giggles filling the night air. He lied there, only blinking rapidly as his brain struggled to process what was happening. He looked down and saw the joyful face of his girlfriend pressed against his chest, Charlie sitting softly atop him as she laughed. Wiping away a tear, she grinned down at him victoriously.

“I finally got you back. Told you I would, Al!” she bragged, emphasizing her victory with a confident pose. Alastor could only peer up at her, stunned. She leaned down and gently booped his nose with a finger. “I had Razzle and Dazzle set the whole creepy atmosphere. All those scary movie date nights ended up coming in handy!”

She sat up again and motioned with an arm at the beasts from before, the paid heavily padding over to the pair. She rubbed both of their heads proudly before snapping her fingers; they were returned to their original cute, relatively harmless goat forms – complete with happy bleats.

“You know, Al, I never knew you were such a fast runner! Did they have a track team back in your day?” Charlie said with a cheeky wink before giggling, Razzle and Dazzle joining her in her amusement. “It was pretty impressive, actually! I think they had trouble keeping up!”

Alastor fought back the blush rapidly starting it's way up his face, knitting his eyebrows and turning away from her a little. “Charlie, I was **not** scared. I knew it was you and your little pets all along! I was merely humoring you, dear,” he said smoothly, leaning up on his elbows to start getting up.

Charlie smirked and gently laced her fingers with his, enjoying the feel of the points of his fingertips beneath the gloves gently curl and press against her hands. She firmly, but carefully, pushed him back down, her black eyes meeting his red ones. She leaned down until she was nearly nose-to-nose with him, her long hair framing his face easily.

“Come on, Al. Admit I got you good,” she said sweetly, but with an unmistakable air of authority underneath. Alastor ginned back, raising an eyebrow as he refrained from responding. She grinned in return at his refusal. “I had you at my mercy.”

At this, Alastor's eyes widened and he felt his cheeks burn at the unexpectedly suggestive tone in Charlie's voice. Surely, it was an unintentional . Or was it? Either way, the sweet little princess effectively hunting Alastor down and rendering him helpless the way she did should have left him reeling from shock. Angry, even, that his pride was so easily shattered.

Yet all Alastor could think was how irresistible alluring he found this unexpected side of Charlie. It was all too easy to forget that she hid many tricks up her sleeve, and it only made her all the more fascinating.

Seeming to have caught onto the way her words could be interpreted, Charlie began to falter. She bit her lip and looked to the side guiltily. “T-That came out wrong! Sorry. I mean – now that I think about it, that was actually pretty mean of me. I shouldn't have used your fear of dogs against you like that. It was something you trusted me with and I shouldn't have brought that up just for a prank,” Charlie apologized, ashamed. “I'm sorry, Alastor. That was really immature of me just now –“

“Absolutely not! Nonsense! Don't apologize, dear!” Alastor quickly cut in, shaking his head with a laugh. He grinned up at her admiringly. “That was amazing! I haven't felt that rush of pure adrenaline in decades! You definitely caught me off-guard, Charlie. I'm _very_ impressed.” He brought the blushing, stuttering woman further down to him, whispering lowly. “You're just full of wonderful surprises, _cher_. You should show me these hidden sides of you more often. Things only I get to see.”

Charlie could only squeak in response, feeling waves of pleasant tingles wash over her body in response to Alastor's words and touch. “Y-You shouldn't get used to it! Even if it is hot – wait, no! Ugh!”

Alastor threw his head back in laughter before wrapping his arms around Charlie and hugging her close as they lied in the leaves, Razzle and Dazzle happily lying next to their masters as they made little “angels” in the pile of fallen foliage.

“It's alright, dear. These little adventures can be our secret,”Alastor mused, running his fingers through her hair. “For example, did you know I'm a masochist? Oh, what we could get up to with that immense power you possess. You've given me all sorts of terrible ideas, Charlie!”

“Hoo boy, what have I done?” Charlie snickered, hugging Alastor back. “Let's not go crazy, Al!”

“No promises!”


End file.
